I nearly didn’t buy this book as I thought that I would be lost in a sea of technology and training plans, but for only GBP4.74 I decided to take a risk.

What joy…

If you want to understand the basics of elite sports with respect to:- Nature vs nurture- Nutrition- Aerodynamics - Psychology

Then this is the book for you – especially if you don’t want to get lost in academic journals.

Unintentionally, the book gives great insight into the key characters and theory behind British Cycling and Team Sky. It also paints a pretty convincing picture why other teams will catch up pretty soon (if they haven’t already).

I would also recommend the book for the VO2max acolyte’s who seemingly think the key to decoding whether Sky dope or not is to be found here. It is not. The book also briefly mentions the possibility of magic “ketone” drinks which has been speculated in the forum as one of the key secrets of Team Sky.

Personally, I was staggered how simple the nutrition aspect of cycling is. But, it seems that a lot of people just don’t have the discipline to follow the rules. Every time, I see someone drinking a Coke or Fanta at the end of the race, I will be shouting “Don’t do it”.

In you really want to understand what it takes to be an elite cyclist and why endless tinkering and looking for marginal gains is probably the norm then buy the book and read…

I've yet to read Emma's book, but I am good friends with Simon Lillistone (Emma's ex) and he's had some 'very savoury' moments with her over some of the 'tales' in the book... I'm hooking up with Si for Ride London 100 soon so will get the scoop!!!

That is a heck of a write up and at Amazon and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19796189-the-breakawaythere are only top ratings for the book. I particularly like the write ups at Goodreads. I have bought the kindle version and had a quick look at a few pages. I think this is going to need its own thread, particularly as there appears to be no gloss being put British Cycling's way. I read a bit and Sutton does not shine.

Everyone interested in bespoke bicycles - actually, everyone interested in bicycles, period - should read Robert Penn's It's All About the Bike. The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels.A lovely account of a man's quest to have the 'perfect' bike, and with a lot of the bicycle's history intervowen with that story.

Everyone interested in bespoke bicycles - actually, everyone interested in bicycles, period - should read Robert Penn's It's All About the Bike. The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels.A lovely account of a man's quest to have the 'perfect' bike, and with a lot of the bicycle's history intervowen with that story.

Evidently about Major Taylor's exploits in two separate Australian tours during the advent of the white Australia policy. It's a page turner, and of course, well complimentary of the Major. He earned bucket loads in that period, £6000 pounds on one of his tours. He also didn't like losing any race to keep others "happy" and rarely shared his prize money. Dare I say, an attitude not too dissimilar to what is seen in Sky cycling these days.

Very decent account of the Taylor's two tours of Australia, his famed rivalry with Floyd McFarland. Paid sh*t loads of money in the short spell when cycling was the richest sport in the world. Also a bit about Hugh huge deal Macintosh. Taylor, one of the richest sportsmen of the time, and Hugh Macintosh, one of the most influential organisers if the time, both died penniless. But if a page turner.

An archive more than a book to read, but with all the Australian champions across all disciplines over 130 years, it's an interesting prospect. However, at A$35+19 for international shipping, it's a bit steep.

Cycling is wildly popular all over Belgium, but in the northern, Dutch-speaking half of the country it is part of the psyche. Flanders is the size of East Anglia with population a tenth of that of Great Britain, yet this small corner of north-west Europe has produced eight winners of the Tour de France, five times as many professional riders as Italy or Spain.

Blending reportage, interviews, observation, biography and history and written with affectionate humour by a committed Belgophile, The Beast, the Emperor and the Milkman tells the story of Flanders' neurotic love affair with bike racing, from tough early heroes such as Jules Vanhevel – wounded by mortar fire in the First World War and leading the world championship road race until he collided with a cow – to latter-day ironmen such as Tom Boonen, three-times winner of the Tour of Flanders and owner of a pet donkey named Kamiel.

Also Guillaume Martin has published a book, which seems to go beyond the stuff cyclists usually write (or have written) about . "Socrate à vélo: Le tour de France des philosophes".

Quote

(gt) "Imagine Socrates, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Pascal and others on the starting line. Follow their preparation for the Tour de France, the most prestigious cycling event in the world, to which they were strangely invited. Share their questions, their doubts, their mistakes. Think about them. Pedal with these funny sportsmen, these philosophical runners, these "vélosophes" - as I enjoy calling them. They say they would be endowed with a magic potion: their intelligence. Will it allow them to conquer the coveted yellow jersey? "

In Socrates by bike, Guillaume Martin opens the floodgates of the imagination to make us discover the world of cycling and give us to think. Here the essay mingles with fiction, the fable with the deepest meditations; we see Nietzsche train courageously listening to the paths of philosophy on France Culture, illustrious philosophers climb the passes alongside the greatest champions, Heidegger fall into a ditch, Socrates take the lead of the pack or Sartre coach of the Team of France ... The goal of this philosophical fantasy? Clear clichés that stick to the skin of athletes, show that high-level physical effort is not the enemy of intellectual activity, that the head and legs have no place to be distinguished. Because, as Bergson rightly recalls, "you have to think like a man of action and act as a man of thought".